May 15, 2015

Post fish-fry (the fish had long ago been fried and eaten), we sat around the table talking, drinking a South African liqueur, and eventually putting estate-sale beer coasters in satisfying arrangements.

May 02, 2015

I am on the International Symposium Team, helping to
organize this year’s Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore in July. Earlier I
posted on http://singapore2015.urbansketchers.org/ asking Symposium participants to introduce themselves
using their favorite platform, and sharing on social media with the hashtag
#USkSingapore2015. I figured I should go ahead and introduce myself!

Hi it's me.

My name is Elizabeth Alley and I am the president of the
Urban Sketchers Executive Board, and I am one of the people organizing the
Symposium in Singapore. It’s a great team and I’m proud to be working with this
group! This is the fourth Symposium that I’ve helped organize (Santo Domingo,
Barcelona, Paraty, Singapore), and the fourth that I’ve attended (Portland,
Santo Domingo, Barcelona, Singapore).

After returning home from the first Symposium in Portland, OR (USA), I
started Urban Sketchers Memphis.

Since being involved with Urban Sketchers, and particularly attending the Symposiums, my sketching has greatly improved AND I have gotten to know so many wonderful people from around the world. I am an artist – I make oil paintings – and my improved sketching habits have improved my work in the studio. I have also started teaching sketching at a local studio (Flicker Street Studio, where I also teach oil painting) since being involved with Urban Sketchers. The sketches that are shared by correspondents on urbansketchers.org, and by Regional Chapters on their blogs, and by everyone on Flickr, and everyone on the Urban Sketchers Group on Facebook inspire me daily and challenge me to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

Airport sketch after the first Symposium in Portland.

Airport sketch after an Urban Sketchers Workshop with Jim Richards at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, GA.

Recent vacation sketch - The Tablelands in Newfoundland.

Recent sketch in Memphis, TN.

The Symposium is the ultimate push outside of
one’s comfort zone. You’re out in the street in another country sketching and
learning with a group of like-minded people, and there’s really nothing better
than that!